Buttonhole sewing machine



Feb. 13, 1940. E. P. SPAINE El AL BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 30, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ema/14M I Edward PLS bwa'ne and -llal'old a Faulkner flxwww WWW W Feb. 13, 1940.

g. P. SPAINE ET AL BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 30, 1938 '8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Spaine Harold C. Fwzilkner Filed Nov. 30, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 R Spaine and Harold L? Ic'tulknfl' Feb. 13, 1940. E. P. sPAiNE ETAL 2,190,614

BUTTONHOLE SEWING: MACHINE Filed NOV. 30, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 n Edward Spaine Harold C. Faulkner Feb. 13, 1940.

E. P. SPAINE ET AL BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed Nov. so, 1938 r 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 ll IIIIIIIIHIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIlllllHHlllllllll and Edward P/Spa 'nQ Harold a Faulkner flxwwwg Feb. 13, 1940. g. P. sPAlNE; ET AL I BUTTONHOLE SEWING MAQHINE v 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 30, 1938 Edward 12 Sjowiw m F a m a M X3, 1940. E. P. SPAINE ET AL 2,190,514

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 50, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 MOM Lapwin i/droid (Ilka/liner WWkoav I I %-7L Wwae 3:44am I Fatented Feb. 13, 1940 BUTTONHOIE SEWING MACHINE Edward P. Spaine, Bridgeport, and Harold C.

Faulkner, Long Hill, Trumbull, Conn., assignors to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 30, 1938, Serial No. 243,126

18 Claims.

This invention relates to buttonhole sewing machines and has foran object to provide an eyelet-end buttonhole sewing machine of the readily accessible pattern-wheel-controlled type which may be quickly and conveniently set to sew a buttonhole of any one of a variety of types and of any length within the range provided, without interchange of pattern-wheels.

The invention also aims to provide a buttonm hole-sewing-machine-controlling pattern wheel which may be adjusted to make a taper-barred buttonhole of any desired length. Another oblast of the invention is to improve the rapidfeed throw-out mechanism of the machine, so

that it will not be necessary to make a separate adjustment of a rapidfeed throw-out tripping Point on the pattern-wheel each time the pattern-wheel is re-set to sew a different length of buttonhole.

The invention also aims to provide a machine which will sew buttonholes with eyelet-ends of different sizes, or without eyelet ends, of any desired overall length, either taper-barred or unbarred and. if taper-barred, with a barred portion of any desired length within the range provided.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Of the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a right side elevation of a buttonhole sewing machine embodying the invention. Fig, 2 is a left side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side ele- 40 vation of the rapid-feed throw-in tripping point mechanism in position to operate at the radially stitched end of a buttonhole without an eye. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the stop-motion control devices of Fig. 2, taken at the instant the 45 stitch-forming mechanism starts its operation and the initial rapid-feed action of the machine is thrown out. This occurs shortly before the stop-motion lever is tilted all the way to dotted line position, Figs. 2 and 2* Fig. 2 includes a showing of this same mechanism thrown to an inoperative position. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the machine. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the machine bed at a level above the main feed-cam and feed-levers actuated 55 thereby. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the machine bed on the line 55, 3. Fig. 6 is an inside elevation of the mechanism within the machine bed, adjacent the pattermwheel.

. This figure is a section taken substantially on 60 the line 6-6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the rapid-feed throw-out mechanism which is operated by the pattern-wheel. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are a series of transverse sectional views on the line 8--8, Fig. 6, in different successive positions of the parts assumed during a buttonholeproducing cycle, as will be explained. Figs. 11 and 12, are, respectively, outer and inner face views of the universal adjustable pattern-wheel of the machine. Fig. 13 is a substantially diametrical section of the pattern-wheel on the line l3-l3, Fig, 11. Fig. 14 is a radial section on the radius l4-c, Fig. 11. Fig. 15 is a segmental section on the line l5-l5, Fig. 11, turned upside down. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a substitute detachable cam-block section of the pattern-wheel used to shift control of the lateral Ieed of the eye of a buttonhole to the main feed-cam for sewing a large size eyelet-end. Fig. 1'7 is a substitute cam-block attachable to the pattern-wheel for sewing a medium size eyeletend. Fig. 18 is a disassembled perspective view of the pattern-wheel. Fig. 18 is a side elevation of one of the taper-bar cam-blocks removed from the pattern-wheel of the machine, and Figs. 19 to 25, inclusive, are diagrammatic plan views of a selected set of buttonholes which may be made by the machine, such set being illustrative of the wide variety of buttonholes which may be made without removal of the pattern-wheel.

, The machine in which the present invention is embodied for the purposes of the present disclosure is a cut-after eyelet-end buttonhole sewing machine of the type represented in U. S. Patent Reissue 15,324, reissued Apr. 4, 1922. It is, however, quite immaterial insofar as the present invention is concerned, whether the machine cuts the buttonhole after sewing it or before sewing it; both types of machines being well known in the art.

The machine illustrated has a frame including the hollow box-like bed I from which rises the standard 2 of the overhanging bracket-arm 3 terminating at its free end. in the head 4.

The stitch-forming mechanism has a fixed operative position in the frame of the machine and is constructed substantially in accordance The work is held in a work-clamp which partakes of traveling movements longitudinally of the bed I and side-shift movements laterally of the bed I, to distribute the stitches about a buttonhole. The work-clamp comprises right and left clamp sections each comprising a lower clamp-plate l and an upper clamp-foot car- I ried thereby and movable toward and away from the lower clamp-plate to grip and release the work. These clamp sections are carried by a cross-slide plate i2, Fig. 3, slidable laterally of the machine bed I on the cross-rod l3 of the longitudinal slide-frame M which partakes of traveling movements longitudinally of the bed I.

As the present work-clamp and the means for moving it are constructed substantially in accordance with the disclosure of said Reissued Patent 15,324, a brief description of the mechanism should sufiice. There is mounted in the box-like bed I a main feed-wheel l5 having in its upper face a longitudinal feed-cam groove l6, Fig. 4, and a lateral feed-cam groove H. The longitudinal feed-cam groove It acts through the lever l8 and link l9 to impart traveling movements to the longitudinal slide-frame 4. The lateral feed-cam groove |1 acts upon the followerlever 29 which may be coupled to the followerlever 2| by the vertically movable slide-bolt or plunger 22 to impart lateral movement to the cross-slide plate 12.

As shown in Fig. 2, the levers and 2| are coupled together by the slide-bolt 22 which carries a lateral pin 23 resting in the horizontal portion of the inverted L-shaped slot 24 in the side wall of the boss 25 on the end of the lever 2| which carries the slide-bolt 22. In this elevated position, the lower end of the slide-bolt 24 is entirely out of range of any cams on the pattern wheel 26 which is mounted externally of and at one side of the machine bed I on the cross rotary shaft 21 connected by one-to-one bevel gears 28 to the main feed-wheel I5. Thus the main feedwheel |5 and the pattern-wheel 26 always run together in one-to-one timed relationship.

The longitudinal feed-cam groove I6 'is designed to impart to the work-clamp a certain fixed overall longitudinal motion including the motion required to shift the work-clamp from sewing position to buttonhole-cutting position to give room for the buttonhole-cutter to act without clashing with the stitch-forming mechanism.

At the start of a buttonhole-producing cycle the work-clamp occupies a. position at one extreme end of its range of longitudinal traveling move-' ment, known as buttonhole-cutting position. When the machine is started, the connected feedand pattern-wheels i5, 26, are at first driven by a rapid-feed driving mechanism to carry the workclamp quickly from starting position to the point of its longitudinal motion where the stitching is to begin. When this point is reached the stitchforming mechanism is started and the rapid-feed drive is thrown out. The stitching then progresses down the first side of the buttonhole, around the eyelet-end and back along the return side of the buttonhole to a point even with the first stitch, at which point the stitch-forming mechanism is stopped and the rapid-feed drive is re-connected to carry the work-clamp quickly back to its extreme or initial position where the buttonhole is to be cut. At this position the return rapid-feed drive is thrown out of action.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the length of a buttonhole made by the machine depends upon the position in the total longitudinal travel of the work-clamp at which the sewing is started and stopped. By arranging to start the sewing later and stop it correspondingly earlier in" a complete cycle of motion or revolution of the connected feedand patternwheels I5, 26, a shorter buttonhole may be made, and vice versa. 01 course, the rapid-feed drive controls must be correspondingly adjusted to take care of the changed positions at which the first rapid-feed motion is thrown out and the return rapid-feed motion is started.

The stitch-forming mechanism is driven by the main sewing shaft 29, the operation of which is controlled by the usual stop-motion device including the stop-motion lever s which is tilted from its full-line or stop position, Fig. 2, to dotted lineor running position to connect the sewing shaft 29 to the source of power represented by the grooved belt-pulley 39. The stop-motion lever s is fixed to the pivot-shaft 3| carrying the crank-arm 32 which is connected by the link 33 to the lever 34 fulcrumed at 35 on the machine bed and carrying the cam-follower nose 36 in position to be engaged by the start-sewing" cam-rise I1 and released by the stop-sewing drop-oil shoulder 38 on the pattern-wheel 26. When the stitch-forming mechanism is operating, the main feed-cam l5 and with it the pattern-wheel 23 are driven in step-by-step fashion from the main sewing shaft 29 by means of the usual pin-andstar-wheel drive 39 and connecting gearing 49.

The rapid-feed drive of the connected feedcam I5 and pattern-wheel 26, which carries the work-clamp rapidly over those portions of its longitudinal travel where there is to be no stitching, is accomplished by the constantly rlmning rapid-feeddrive-shaft 4| which carries a worm 42 meshing with a gear 43 fixed to the hub 44 of a live clutch element 45 loose on the cross rotary shaft 21. Vlrrthin the live-clutch element 45 is a driven-clutch element 46 including the tails 41 of clutch-dog operators. When the tails 41 are expanded by the cone 48, slidable on the cross rotary shaft 21, the clutch is released and the cross rotary shaft 21 is disconnected from the rapid-feed drive-shaft 4|. When the cone 49 is withdrawn from the tails 41 of the clutch-dogoperating levers, the clutch is engaged and the shaft 21 is coupled to its drive-shaft 4| or,-in other words, the rapid-feed is thrown in. This rapid-feed mechanism is, so far. constructed substantially in accordance with the disclosure of said U. S. Patent Reissue 15,324.

The clutch-operator is constituted by a crossslide rod 49 carrying an arm 50 having at its free end a fork 5| which engages the grooved hub of the cone 49. The cross-slide rod 49 is biased by the coil-spring 52 in a direction to throw out the rapid-feed. The rod 49 is shoved endwise against the pressure of the spring 52. to throw in the rapid-feed, by the continuously reciprocating push-bar 53 which is pivoted at 54, Fig. 5, to the arm 55 of a bell-crank 51 on the rapid-feed driveshaft 4|. The push-bar 53 is held by the latch 58 in a depressed position, Figs. 5 and 6, where it may reciprocate idly. When the latch ll is swung over to release the push-bar 53, the latter is drawn upwardly by its spring 59, effecting engagement of the stud-pin 69 on the cross-slide The latch 68 is engaged by a lever-arm 86 on the rock-shaft 66 which is Journaled in the bed I and has rigidly connected to. it two arms 61, 68 by means of which it may be operated to throw in the rapid-feed. The first mentioned arm 61 carries a spring-pressed tripping tooth 68 which is engaged and depressed by the pin 10 on the downwardly extending arm 1| of the three-armed clamp-closing lever 1|, 12, 13, which'at the beginning of a buttonhole-producing cycle receives an impulse from a clamp-closing cam-groove in the inner face of the continuously running beltpulley 14 loose on the buttonhole-cutter shaft 15. The clamp-closing lever actuating mechanism is preferably constructed substantially in accordance with the disclosure of U. S. Patent Nov 1,832,665, of November 17, 1931. The. second mentioned arm 68 of the rock-shaft 66 is actuated to throw in the rapid-feed by the toothed lever 16 which engages the arm 68 when the stop-motion s acts to stop the sewing operation when the stitching along the return side of the buttonhole has progressed to a point even with the first stitch. The actuating mechanism for the toothed lever 16 is the same as that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,504,306, of Aug. 12, 1924.

The throw-out of the rapid-feed is accomplished by tripping the latch-lever 63 to release the spring-biased clutch-operator slide-rod 49. This mustbe accomplished twice in a buttonholeproducing cycle, once when the sewing is started and again when the work-clamp reaches buttonhole-cutting position after the buttonhole has been stitched. The latch-lever 63 engages the forked end 11 of a lever 18 fulcrumed at 19 on the inner wall of the bed I. The lever 18 has a lateral extension 18', Fig. 7, which is in position to be engaged by the rapid-feed throw-out tooth 88 on the inner face of the pattern-wheel 26. The tooth 88 is the tooth which throws out the second or final rapid-feed of the work-clamp at the completion of a buttonhole-producing cycle. It occupies a fixed position on the pattern-wheel for all lengths of buttonholes which the patternwheel may be set to produce. Heretofore, the pattern-wheel carried another similar tooth, which is not present in the machine herein disclosed. Such tooth was positioned to throw out the rapid-feed at the time the sewing operation was started.

The tooth, heretofore used to throw out the initial rapid-feed when the sewing starts, has been eliminated from the present machine in favor of a connection with the stop-motion-actuating link 33, as will now be described.

Fixed to the lever 18, Fig. 7, is a block 8| having two ears 82 between which is fulcrumed a thrust-bar 83 having a thrust-receiving shoulder 84 and a lateral extension or tail 85 which carries a tooth 86 in position to be engaged at times by the extension 81 of the plate 64 on the hub of the forked arm 50 which engages the rapid-feed clutch cone 48. Fulcrumed on the same screw with the lever 18 is a lever 88 having a rearward extension 89 in position to engage the thrust shoulder 84 of the thrust member 83 when the tail 85 is released by the arm 81, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, which show the rapid-feed clutchoperating slide-rod 49 in rapid-feeding position. The lever 88 carries at its upper end a lateral extension 98, Fig. 7, in position to be engaged by 9| to engage and actuate the lever 88, thereby causing the rearward extension 89 to swing the lever 18 and depress the latch-lever 68, Fig. 9. thus releasing the slide-rod 49 which is shifted by its spring 52 to the position shown in Fig. 10, J

to throw out the rapid-feed as the sewing starts. The tooth 9| is adjustable longitudinally of the link 33, Fig. 2, and is so set as to effect the throwout of the rapid-feed at the same instant the stitch-forming mechanism is thrown in. 'At this 10 instant, as shown in Fig. 2 the cam-follower nose 36 has not ridden to the crest of the startsewing cam-rise 31. Hence, immediately after the sewing starts and the initial rapid-feed is thrown out, the lever 84, link 33, and tooth ill-ll receive a further rearward motion suflicient to swing the lever 88 and lower its rearwardly extending arm 89 from the rapid-feed throw-out position, Fig. 9, to the position shown in Fig. 10

where it is below the level of the shoulder 84 and 'fl cannot be re-engaged by such shoulder in the event the rapid-feed action is again thrown-in while the sewing mechanism is operating at the eye end of a buttonhole. It is quite evident that this mechanism will function to throw-out the ill initial rapid-feed when the sewing starts. regardless of when, during the longitudinal travel of the work-clamp, the sewing starts. Thus, a change of position or timing of the start-sewing cam-rise 31 will require no corresponding,

change of position or timing of a rapid-feed throw-out tripping tooth on the back of the pattern-wheel, as heretofore. The purpose of the tail 85, block 86 and extension 81 are to hold the thrust-member shoulder 84 out of the path of 48 movement of the arm 89 of lever 88, when themachine is not rapid feeding, so that when the arm 89 is lowered slightly to a position below theshoulder 84 by the last portion of the rise 31 of thestopmotion controlling cam on the pattern-wheel,-4o

the rapid-feed may be thrown into and out of operation by other means to be described in sewing a reduced number of radial stitches at the eye-end of a lapel-type of buttonhole, such as shown in Fig. 20. This disconnection of the arm The means for throwing in the rapid-feed.

while sewing at the eye-end of the buttonhole comprises the tooth 93 pivoted at 94 on a plate 85 fixed to the rod 86 which is connected to and partakes of the longitudinal travel of the longitudinal slide-frame 14. The tooth 93 is biased. to operative position, Fig. 2 by a spring 91 and may be held in an inoperative position, Fig. 2, by a manually operable pivoted catch 98. When the catch 98 is shifted from'the position shown in Fig. 2, to the position shown in Fig. 2 the. tooth 93 is swung downwardly around its pivot 94 to a position where it will strike the arm 99 on the rapid-feed throw-in control rock-shaft 66 when the sewing reaches the eye-end of the buttonhole. As before stated, the special tripping. point 92 throws out the rapid-feed at the eye. The machine may thus be caused to rapid-feed at the eye-end of a buttonhole, without stop: ping the sewing mechanism, and the number of eye stitches may thus be reduced. This is useful in sewing a lapel-type hole, such as shown in Fig. 20, where the end stitches are apt to be overcrowded.

It now remains to describe the universal adjustable pattern-wheel with which the present machine is equipped to enable it to make buttonholes of difierent lengths. This patternwheel comprises a main supporting disk I having a large cylindrical extension IIII, Fig. 18, constituting a bearing or arbor for a pair of internally toothed rings I02, I03. These rings are held on the arbor IOI by. the face-plate I04.

Joumaled in the coaxial holes I00, I00 in the disk I00 and face-plate I04 is the shaft I01 to which is pinned a pinion I00 meshing with the internal teeth of the ring I03, only, as shown in Fig. 15. Journaled in the holes I03 and H0 in the disk I00 and face-plate I04 are the supportthe disk I00. The rings may be clamped in adjusted position by the clamp-nut II4, Fig. 13. The inner ring I02 carries the start-sewing cam-rise 31 which is formed as a curved nose at one end of a ring segment II5 secured by a screw I I8 to the ring 102; the screw IIG passing through an arcuate slot H1 in the ring I02. The ring I02 has an arcuate portion IIBwhich forms a continuation of the ring segment H0. The outer ring I03 carries the stop-sewing" drop-oil shoulder 30 which is at the end of the ring segment II3 peripherally adjustable on the ring I03 by virtue of the screw and slot expedient I20. The circular outer edge of the ring segment H3 is of thesame radius as the adjacent circular outer edge-portion I2I of the ring I03, which is the same as the radius of the outer edge of the portion 0 and ring segment II5 of ring I02. The face-plate I04 has a circular outer edge-portion I22 of the same radius to bridge the variable gap between the similar portions of the rings I02 and I03.

The main supporting disk I00 is formed with a peripheral cam-groove or laterally closed camtrack I23 having no side throws and suitable to.

receive the lower end of the plunger 22, when the pin 23 is shifted over to the vertical portion of the inverted L-shaped slot, and control the lateral feed of the work-clamp in sewing a straight, non-barred, buttonhole such as shown in Fig. 20. It will be remembered that when the plunger 22 is dropped to engage the lateral feedcam groove in the pattern-wheel, the upper end of the plunger 22 is dropped below the lever and hence the work-clamp is disconnected from the lateral feed-cam groove in the main feedwheel. This is in accordance with the disclosure in said U. S. Patent Reissue 15,324. I

To make taper-barred buttonholes the patternwheel may be equipped with taper-bar camblocks I24, I25. Each of these cam-blocks is of arcuate shape and has an inner circular rib I26 adapted to fit and ride in the cam-groove I23 in the pattern-wheel disk .I00. Each taper-bar cam-block also has a laterally closed cam-groove I21 which has the proper side throws to effect the desired lateral shift of the work-clamp to onset the taper-barring stitches. One of the taper-bar cam sections isdetachably mounted sions or cheek-pieces I20. The leading incline peripherally of the ring In: is such that the I follower-plunger 22 will be in the offset portion of the cam-groove I21 when thefistart sewing" cam-rise 31 on the ring I02 engages the follower 30. The oflset portion of the cam I21 is long enough to contain the plunger 22 for any position of adjustment of the start sewing camsegment IIi relative to. the ring I02. The cam-.- block I24, Fig. 12, is formed at the ends of its rib I23 with inclines I20 flanked by side wall exten- I20 lifts the plunger 22 out of the straight camgroove I23 in the pattern wheel and into the side throw cam-groove I21 of the taper-bar cam-,-

block. The plunger 22 is, however, not lifted high enough by the bottom wall of the camgroove I21 to eflect coupling of the lateral feedlevers 20 and. The pattern-wheel 20 remains in sole ontrol of the lateral taper-bar cam-blocks are acting.

1 The final taper-bar cam-block I20 is like the 00 first cam-block I24 except that the cam-groove therein is oflset from the rib I20 oppositely to the direction of oflsetof the cam-groove I21 in the cam-block I24. The cam-block I20 is so positioned peripherally of the ring I03 to which it is connected that-when the stop sewing" drop-oi! shoulder H8 reaches the stop-motion follower nose the plunger 22 will be riding in the offset portion of the cam-groove in the camblock I25. In other words the stop sewing dropoff shoulder trails the second taper-bar cambiock I25 the same number of degrees peripherally of the pattern-wheel 26 that the start sewing" cam-rise 31 trails the first taper-bar cam-block I24. This relationship is maintained for any adjustment of the knurled head II3 to vary the length of the buttonhole. Taper-bar feed when the buttonholes of any selected length within the range of the machine may be sewn with one setting of the knurled head II 3. The length of the taper-bar may be varied by adjusting the ring segments H5, H9 relative to their-respective supporting rings I02, I03.

With the pattern-wheel 28 there may be provided detachable cam-block sections such as the large eye section I3I shown in Fig. 16 and the medium eye" section I32 shown in Fig. 17. Each of these sections has the rib-portion I33 which fits in the cam-groove I23 of the patternwheel and has inclines I34 at its opposite ends to lift the follower-plunger 22 out of the straight cam-groove I23 and lower it back into such groove at the beginning and end of the eye'- stitching period. The medium eye cam-block I32 has a cam-groove I35 with offsets designed to take care of the lateral shift of the work-clamp required to sew a medium eyed buttonhole, such as shown in Figs. 23, 24 and 25. The large eye" section I 3| has no lateral feed-cam groove. This section I3I merely serves to lift the plunger 22 high enough to couple the lateral feed-levers 20 and 2I together, whereby the large eye lateral feed-cam groove I1 in the main feed-wheel I0 takes over the lateral feed-control from the pattern-wheel 26 in sewing around the eye. The 7 cam-block I3I is used in sewing the large eye buttonholes shown in Figs. 19 and 22.

To sew the lapel-type buttonhole of Fig. 20, the taper-bar cam-blocks I24, I25 and eye-blocks III or I32 are detached and removed from the pat- 7 tern-wheel, so that the lateral feed is held at ing :11, means for giving said work-hold zero by the cam-groove I23 in the pattern-wheel. To sew the "no-eye taper-bar buttonhole of Fig. 21, the taper-bar cam-blocks I24 and I25 are attached to their respective rings I02, I03 on thepattern-wheel. Any of the buttonholes selected may be varied in length as desired between the extreme lengths indicated by full and dotted lines in Figs. 19 to 25, inclusive. While sewing a no-eye or medium-eye buttonhole, the lateral position or the work-holder is continuously under the control oi the pattern-wheel cams. The

plunger 22 passes under the control of the terbuttonhole-cutter lever carries the knife I36 which is long enough to cut the longest buttonhole produced by the machine. The present buttonhole-cutting mechanism and the means for tripping it into operation at the close of a buttonhole-sewing period are substantially the same as in the machine of said U. S. Patent Reissue l5,324. It is' to be understood however,

that the present invention is not limited to a "cut-after machine: it being obviously immaterial to the invention whether the buttonhole is out before or after sewing.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is:

1. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitch-forming mechanism, rotary cam means for moving said work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism relative to each other to cause the stitches to be formed along the sides and around the eye-end of-the buttonhole, two circularly adjustable controlling members rotating one-to-one with said rotary cam, means by which the length of the buttonhole is determined, and two separate barring cams circularly adjustable with said controlling members by which the work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism are given a relative lateral movement thereby to form a bar at the end of the buttonhole.

2. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitchforming mechanism, rotary cam means for moving said work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism relative to each other to cause the stitches to be formed along the sides and around the eye-end of the buttonhole, two circularly adjustable controlling members rotating one-to-one with said rotary cam means by which the length of the buttonhole is determined, and two separate barring cams circularly adjustable with said controlling members by which the workholding means and stitch-forming mechanism are given a relative lateral movement thereby'to form a bar atthe end of the buttonhole, each of said barring cams being connected to a respective one of said controlling members, and adjusting means to move said members simultaneously and equally in opposite directions.

3. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitch-form- Knife blocks must be interchanged whenever the machine is re-set to ,sew a different length buttonhole. The other ing means and stitch-forming mechanism a relative movement of fixed amplitude longitudinally of the buttonhole, rotary and circularly adjustable-means for controlling the operation of the stitch-forming mechanism by which buttonholes of diilerent lengths may be i'ormed, a barring cam rotatable with said rotary and circularly adjustable means and circularly adjustable into different positions according to the length of the buttonhole being sewed, and means operated thereby to produce a relative lateral movement between the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means by which barring stitches are formed at the end 01' the buttonhole.

4. In a buttonhole sewing machine, a feed-cam having a laterally closed cam-track, a cam-block having a laterally closed cam-track superposed upon and adjustable along said first mentioned laterally positionedby said first mentioned camtrack, a cam-track follower, and means to direct said follower from one to the other '01 said camtracks for any position of circular adjustment oi? said cam-block.

6. In a buttonhole sewing machine, a feed-cam having a laterally closed cam-groove, a camblock detachably carried by said feed-cam and having a rib received in said cam-groove, said cam-block having a laterally closed cam-groove in the portion thereof overlying said rib, a camfollower, inclined means at the ends of'said rib to eject said follower from. the first mentioned cam-groove, said cam-block having cheek-pieces at thetsides of said inclined means, said cheekpieces constituting terminal portions of the side walls of the laterally closed cam-groove in said v cam-block.

7. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitchforming mechanism, means for giving said workholding means and stitch-forming mechanism a relative movement of fixed amplitude longitudinally of a buttonhole, circularly adjustable rotary means for controlling the operation of the stitch-forming mechanism by which buttonholes of different lengths may be formed, rotary taper-barring cams separately and circularly adjustable and means operated thereby to produce the relative lateral movement of the stitchforming mechanism and work-holding means by which a bar is formed lengthwise of the buttonhole.

8. In a buttonhole sewing machine, a feedcam having a first cam-groove, a cam-block having a second cam-groove and a rib underlying said second cam-groove and received in said first cam-groove, said rib having inclined terminal portions leading from the bottom wall of the first rotary cam-groove to thebottom wall of the second rib to the bottom wall of said cam-groove, and

cheek-pieces flanking said inclined terminal por tions.

11. Ina buttonhole sewing machine, a universal adjustable pattern-wheel having a main supporting disk formed with acylindrical extension, a pair of internally gear-toothed stopmotion-controlling rings mounted on said cylindrical extension, a pair of directly intermeshing and laterally offset pinions journaled on said main supporting disk, each of said pinions directly meshing with the internally toothed portion oi a respective one of said rings, and manually operated means to turn one of said pinions.

12. In a buttonhole sewing machine, a universal adjustable pattern-wheel having a main supporting disk formed with a cy indrical extension, a pair of internally gear-toothed rings mounted on said cylindrical extension, intermeshing pinions meshing each with the internally toothed-portion of a respective one of said rings, one oi said rings being formed with a start-sewing" cam-rise and a circular external edge-portion leading therefrom, the other ring being formed with a stop-sewing" drop-off shoulder and a circular external edge-portion leading thereto, and a plate fixedto said main supporting disk and having a-circular edge-portion overlapping the outer circular edge-portions said rings and serving as a bridge therebetween,

13. In a buttonhole sewing machine, a universal adjustable pattern-wheel having a main start-sewing cam-rise and a circular external edge-portion leading therefrom, the other ring being formed with a stop-sewing drop-off shoulder and a circular external edge-portion leading thereto, and a plate fixed to said main supporting disk and having a circular edge-portion overlapping the outer circular edge-portions .of said rings and serving as a bridge therebetween, said main supporting disk having a. lateral feed-cam groove in its peripheral edge, and a pair of taper-barring cam-blocks received in said cam-groove and connected each to a respective one of said rings.

14. In a buttonhole sewing machine, stitchforming mechanism, a stop-motion device therefor, a work-holder, feeding mechanism including a longitudinal feed-cam and connections for relatively moving the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holder longitudinally of the machine, said feeding mechanism also including a lateral feed-cam wheel and connections for controlling the relative lateral positions of the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holder in sewing along the sides of a buttonhole, a pair of rotatively adjustable rings on said lateral feed-cam wheel, means on one oi said rings to cause the stop motion to start the stitch-forming mechanism, means on the other of said rings to cause the stop-motion to stop the stitch-forming mecha-- nism, a pair of taper-bar cam-blocks carried by said lateral teed-cam wheel and each connected to a respective one of said rings. and

the work-holding means and stitch-forming,

mechanism'over a fixed range longitudinally of the buttonhole, the stitch-forming mechanism being rotatable about an axis normal to the plane of the work to sew around the eye-end of a buttonhole, rapid-feed means to drive the feed-cam means before and afterthe buttonhole it stitched, control means for. the stop-motion device to start the stitch-forming mechanism after the initial rapid-,feed has been completed, rapid-feed throw-out means controlled by the stop-motion throw-in means, means to throw in the rapid-feed while the stitch-formingmechamm is active at the eye-end of the buttonhole, and means independent of the stop-motion control to throw out the rapid-feed at the eye-end of the buttonhole so that the return side stitches may be made under a normal stitching feed the same as the first side stitches.

16. In a buttonhole sewing machine, workholding means, stitch-forming mechanism, a a main feed-cam for relatively moving the-workholding means and stitch-forming mechanism longitudinally of the buttonhole, a patternwheel having a lateral feed-cam for controlling the relative position of the work-holding meansand stitch-forming mechanism transversely of the direction of length of the buttonhole, 9. lateral feed-cam section carried by said patternwheel and peripherally adjustable thereon to vary the time at which it comes into action in a buttonhole-producing cycle, and control means for the stitch-forming mechanism also carried by said pattern-wheel and peripherally adjustable on the latter.

1']. Ina buttonhole sewing machine, a rotatory feed-cam having a laterally closed camtrack, a cam-follower having a lateral movement controlled by said cam-track and a camsection having a cam-track-engaging portion complemental to and laterally fixed in position by said cam-track and slidable along the latter to different operative positions, said cam-section having a laterally closed cam-track constructed to pick up said follower from said firstmentioned cam-track and take over the control of the lateral movement of said cam-follower.

18. In a buttonhole sewing machine, a feedcam having a cam-groove, a cam-follower having a lateral movement controlled by said camgroove and a cam-section having a rib-portion engaging and slidable along said cam-groove to diiferent operating positions, said cam-section having a cam-groove constructed to pick up said follower from said first cam-groove and take over the control of the lateral movement of said cam-follower.

EDWARD P. SPAINE. HAROLD C. FAULKNER. 

